The Queer Advantage

September 15, 2020
Prominent queer voices discuss their lives and careers. In this collection of 50 profiles, assembled by fashion stylist Gelwicks, the contributors explore the nature of identity and the "possibility of a precious, powerful edge" in queerness. Queer men and women spotlight their trailblazing careers across a variety of industries, including arts, social justice, marketing, entrepreneurialism, and sports. The generous Q&A sessions reveal unique perspectives, memories both fond and painful, and sage advice. Leading off is famed gay actor George Takei, whose time in the Japanese American internment camps as a youth and coming out publicly in 2005 shaped his life as a fierce social justice activist and LGBTQ+ advocate. "Being gay gives me another way of looking at people," he writes. "Characters. Another sensibility." Musician and actor Troye Sivan remarks about how his experience of coming out to his fans on YouTube at age 18 "felt comfortable and genuine," a feeling that came about only after he felt he "had a strong enough foundation" with his family and friends. Drag "superstar" D.J. "Shangela" Pierce credits her recognizable, lucrative persona to her resilience as a queer person as well as sheer determination and simple hard work. Writer Sam Lansky discusses his experiences as a former addict, his struggles with body dysmorphia, and why he feels being queer has both advantages and liabilities. Beth Ford, the first openly lesbian CEO of a Fortune 500 corporation (Land O'Lakes), offers crisp commentary on how her creativity and business acumen primed her for success. She also warns against self-limiting: "Just because you're part of the queer community, don't be afraid to build tight relationships with others outside the community. Really step into that because relationships are critical to career success. Careers are not a zero-sum game. When you enable others' success, it helps develop your own career." Other contributors include Michael Kors, Margaret Cho, Billie Jean King, Boy George, and Billy Bean. Inspiring affirmations about queer identity and success.

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October 1, 2020
As the title of this fascinating book indicates, Gelwicks considers being queer an advantage in life and work. As evidence, he offers 50 interviews with queer leaders in their various professions, including motion-picture and television producers, actors, writers, athletes, entrepreneurs, and activists, among them. A number of them are celebrated: George Takei, Barney Frank, Billie Jean King, Margaret Cho, Boy George, Michael Kors, and more. Others are not so well known but are leaders in their various professions. Gelwicks begins each interview with a short essay introducing his subject, followed, in some cases, by a contextual paragraph or two establishing the interview's setting. The interviews themselves are wide-ranging, as the subjects talk candidly about their lives and work and how being queer has impacted both. They all agree, in various ways, that being queer has helped them by making them more empathetic, giving them superhuman strength, more prominence, and?implicit in all?a drive and ambition that has driven them to the top. The result is a book that is both informative and inspirational.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)